Vehicle control system

ABSTRACT

A vehicle control system configured to maintain detection accuracy of an external sensor such as an on-board camera. The vehicle control system is applied to a vehicle that can be operated autonomously. A controller communicates with a database stored on the controller and a database stored on an external facility. The controller changes orientation of a headlamp toward an object detected by an on-board camera, in a case that the headlamp is turned on, and that information about the object detected by the on-board camera is not available in the database.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention claims the benefit of priority to Japanese PatentApplication No. 2017-170473 filed on Sep. 5, 2017 with the JapanesePatent Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the art of a vehiclecontrol system configured to operate the vehicle autonomously.

Discussion of the Related Art

JP-A-2014-106854 describes an automatic driving vehicle controlapparatus includes: detection means for acquiring at least any ofvehicle traveling state, vehicle surrounding state, and driver state;automatic driving means for automatically driving a vehicle; anddetermination means for determining whether a condition for automaticdriving is satisfied or not. According to the teachings ofJP-A-2014-106854, when the determination means determines that theautomatic driving condition is not satisfied during automatic driving, awarning is given to a driver to cancel the automatic driving. Theautomatic driving vehicle control apparatus taught by JP-A-2014-106854is further configured to guide the vehicle to a stop spot when thedriver does not cancel the automatic driving against the warning tocancel the automatic driving.

JP-A-2009-040227 describes a vehicular headlamp control deviceconfigured to adjust an illuminating angle of the headlamp according tochanges in a road grade. According to the teachings of JP-A-2009-040227,the headlamp is turned downwardly when the road grade is changed to adowngrade, and the headlamp is turned upwardly when the road grade ischanged to an upgrade.

By the control apparatus taught by JP-A-2014-106854, the automaticdriving condition can be determined accurately. According to theteachings of JP-A-2014-106854, circumstances around the vehicle areobtained based on data detected by an on-board camera while withreference to a map database. For example, information that is notavailable in the map such as an electric message indicated on a messageboard, a disabled vehicle stopping on the road etc. has to be obtainedby the on-board camera. However, detection accuracy of the on-boardcamera may not be maintained sufficiently in the nighttime or badweather.

SUMMARY

Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure have been conceivednoting the foregoing technical problems, and it is therefore an objectof the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control systemconfigured to maintain detection accuracy of an external sensor such asan on-board camera.

The vehicle control system according to the embodiments of the presentdisclosure is applied to a vehicle having: a prime mover; a brake devicethat applies braking force to a wheel; a steering system that turns thewheels; a lighting device that emits a light; an external sensor thatdetects external conditions; and a controller that controls the primemover, the brake device, and the steering system based on informationabout external conditions transmitted from the external sensor, so as tooperate the vehicle autonomously without requiring a manual operation.In order to achieve the above-explained objective, according to at leastone embodiment of the present disclosure, an orientation of the lightingdevice is changeable. The controller communicates with a database storedon the controller and a database stored on an external facility. Thecontroller is configured to change the orientation of the lightingdevice toward an object detected by the external sensor, in a case thatthe lighting device is turned on, and that the information aboutexternal conditions detected by the external sensor is not available inthe database stored on the controller and the database stored on anexternal facility.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the information detected by the externalsensor may include road information, and the database may include a mapdatabase storing the road information detected by the external sensor.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the controller may be further configuredto further change the orientation of the lighting device within theobject detected by the external sensor, in a case that detectionaccuracy of the external sensor is reduced as a result of orienting thelighting device toward the object.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the controller may be further configuredto determine reduction in the detection accuracy of the external sensorif the object detected by the external sensor is a light emitting objector a reflection object. If the object is the light emitting object, thecontroller further changes the orientation of the lighting device withinthe object in such a manner as to emit light to a portion of the objectother than a light emitting portion. If the object is the reflectionobject, the controller further changes the orientation of the lightingdevice within the object in such a manner as to emit light to a portionof the object other than a reflecting portion.

Thus, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, anorientation of the lighting device is changed toward the object detectedby the external sensor, in a case that the information about the objectdetected by the external sensor in e.g., the nighttime is not availablein the database. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure,therefore, the information about the newly found object that is notavailable in the database can be specified clearly by the externalsensor even in e.g., the nighttime.

In addition, in the case that the object detected by the external sensoris the light emitting object or the reflection object, the orientationof the lighting device is further changed within the object in such amanner as to emit light to a portion of the object other than the lightemitting portion or the reflecting portion. According to the embodimentof the present disclosure, therefore, reflection between the lightemitted from the lighting device and the light emitted from the objectmay be avoided. For this reason, the information about the newly foundobject that is not available in the database can be specified clearly bythe external sensor even if the object is the light emitting object orthe reflection object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, aspects, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention will become better understood with reference to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, which should not limitthe invention in any way.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration showing an example of a structure ofthe vehicle to which the control system according to the embodiment isapplied;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration showing a configuration of thecontrol system according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a routine executed by thecontrol system; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another example of a routine executed bythe control system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be explained withreference to the accompanying drawings. The control system according toat least one embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to ahybrid vehicle powered by an engine and a motor(s), and an electricvehicle powered by the motor(s). In the vehicles of these kinds,electric power may be supplied to the motor not only from a battery butalso from a fuel cell. In addition, the control system may also beapplied to a conventional vehicle in which the vehicle is powered onlyby an engine.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is schematically shown a structure of ahybrid vehicle (as will be simply called the “vehicle” hereinafter) Veto which the control system according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure is applied. In the vehicle Ve, a prime mover includes anengine 1, a first motor 2 and a second motor 3. A damper device 5 isdisposed on an output shaft 4 of the engine 1 to absorb vibrationsresulting from torque pulse. The damper device 5 comprises an inputmember 6 connected to the output shaft 4 of the engine 1, an outputmember 7 that is allowed to rotate relatively to the input member 6, anda plurality of elastic members 8 arranged in a circular manner atregular intervals to transmit torque of the input member 6 to the outputmember 7.

One end of an input shaft 9 is connected to the output member 7 to berotated integrally therewith, and other end of the input shaft 9 isconnected to a single-pinion planetary gear unit 10. The planetary gearunit 10 comprises a sun gear 11 fitted onto the input shaft 9, a ringgear 12 arranged concentrically with the sun gear 11, a plurality ofpinion gears 13 interposed between the sun gear 11 and the ring gear 12,and a carrier 14 supporting the pinion gears 13 while allowing torevolve around the sun gear 11.

A first cylindrical shaft 15 extends from the sun gear 11 on the inputshaft 9 toward the engine 1 to be connected to the first motor 2. Forexample, a permanent magnet type synchronous motor having a generatingfunction may be used as the first motor 2. In the first motor 2, a rotor2 a is connected to the first cylindrical shaft 15 of the sun gear 11 tobe rotated integrally therewith, and a stator 2 b is fixed to astationary member 16 such as a housing.

A second cylindrical shaft 17 extends from the ring gear 12 toward thesecond motor 3, and a rotor 3 a of the second motor 3 is connected tothe second cylindrical shaft 17 to be rotated integrally therewith. Astator 3 b of the second motor 3 is fixed to the stationary member 16such as a housing.

A leading end of the second cylindrical shaft 17 is connected to anoutput shaft 18 to be rotated integrally therewith, and a parking gear19 as an external gear is fitted onto the output shaft 18 to be rotatedintegrally therewith. A parking lock mechanism 20 is arranged outside ofthe parking gear 19. The parking lock mechanism 20 comprises a parkingpawl and a parking actuator (neither of which are shown). The parkingactuator selectively brings the parking pawl into engagement with theparking gear 19 thereby locking the output shaft 18. An engagementbetween the parking pawl and the parking gear 19 may be maintained evenafter shutting down a battery as a power source 21.

A leading end of the output shaft 18 is connected to a differential gearunit 22, and the differential gear unit 22 is connected to a pair ofdrive wheels 24 through drive shafts 23 extending laterally. The drivewheels 24 are turned by a steering system 25. Rotations of the drivewheels 24 and another pair of wheels 26 are individually stopped by abrake 27.

An operating mode of the vehicle Ve may be selected from a hybrid mode(to be abbreviated as the “HV mode” hereinafter) in which the vehicle Veis powered at least by the engine 1, and an electric vehicle mode (to beabbreviated as the “EV mode” hereinafter) in which the vehicle Ve ispowered by at least one of the first motor 2 and the second motor 3.Specifically, in the HV mode, the engine 1 generates power in accordancewith a required drive force calculated by a controller (i.e., ECU) 28,and the first motor 2 generates reaction torque in such a manner as todeliver the output power of the engine 1 to the drive wheels 24 throughthe planetary gear unit 10. In this situation, electric power generatedby the first motor 2 may be supplied to the second motor 3 so that anoutput torque of the second motor may be applied to the secondcylindrical shaft 17. That is, the output power of the engine 1 may betranslated partially into the electric power by the first motor 2, andthen translated into kinetic energy again by the second motor 3 to beapplied to a torque transmission route between the engine 1 and thedrive wheels 24. By contrast, when the first motor 2 serves as a motorwhile establishing the reaction torque, output torque of the first motor2 applied to the transmission route may be translated into electricpower by the second motor 3, thereby reducing power transmitted throughthe transmission route.

In the EV mode, the second motor 3 is operated as a motor in such amanner as to achieve a required drive force calculated by the controller28. In this situation, fuel supply to the engine 1 and power supply tothe first motor 2 may be stopped.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first motor 2 is connected to a first inverter29, and the second motor 3 is connected to a second inverter 30. Thefirst inverter 29 and the second inverter 30 are also connected to anoutput terminal of the battery 21 through a positive bus line 31 and anegative bus line 32. The first motor 2 and the second motor 3 are alsoconnected to each other through the positive bus line 31 and thenegative bus line 32 so that electric power generated by one of themotors 2 and 3 is supplied to the other motor 2 or 3. A capacitor 33 forstoring electric power is connected parallel to the positive bus line 31and the negative bus line 32, and an auxiliary 34 e.g., a compressor foractivating an air conditioner is also connected to the positive bus line31 and the negative bus line 32. In order to selectively allow andinterrupt power supply from the battery 21 to the first inverter 29 andthe second inverter 30, a relay switch 35 is individually disposed onthe positive bus line 31 and the negative bus line 32 between the outputterminal of the battery 21 and the first inverter 29 and the secondinverter 30. The relay switch 35 may be turned on and turned off notonly manually by manipulating a switch button or key, but alsoautomatically at desired time by setting a timer or the controller 28.

A configuration of the controller 28 is shown in FIG. 2. The controller28 comprises a main controller 36, a drive controller 37 and asub-controller 38. Output signals from the main controller 36 are sentto the drive controller 37 and the sub-controller 38. Incident signalsto the drive controller 37 are converted into drive commands and furthertransmitted to a throttle actuator of the engine 1, the first motor 2,and the second motor 3. Incident signals to the sub-controller 38 isconverted into appropriate command signals and further transmitted toactuators of the brake 27 etc.

In order to selectively connect and disconnect the drive controller 37to/from the battery 21 depending on an operating condition of the switchbutton or key for energizing the relay switch 35, a main switch 39 isarranged between the battery 21 and the drive controller 37. Forexample, when the switch button is pressed, the main switch 39 is turnedon, and then, if the switch button is pressed for a predetermined periodof time, the relay switch 35 is turned on. The main switch 39 iscontrolled by the main controller 36 to automatically allow andinterrupt electric power supply to the drive controller 37.

The main controller 36 is an electronic control unit composed mainly ofa microcomputer. To the main controller 36, detection signals andinformation about operating conditions and behaviors of constituentelements of the vehicle Ve are transmitted from an internal sensor 40.Specifically, the internal sensor 40 includes an accelerator sensor 42for detecting a position of an accelerator pedal 41, a brake sensor (orswitch) 44 for detecting a depression of a brake pedal 43, a steeringsensor 46 for detecting a steering angle of the steering wheel 45, avehicle speed sensor 47 for detecting rotational speeds of the wheels 24and 26, a longitudinal acceleration sensor 48 for detecting alongitudinal acceleration of the vehicle Ve, a lateral accelerationsensor 49 for detecting a lateral acceleration of the vehicle Ve, a yawrate sensor 50 for detecting a yaw rate of the vehicle, a shift sensor52 for detecting a position of a shift lever (or switch) 51 and so on.The main controller 36 transmits command signals for controlling theengine 1, the first motor 2 and the second motor 3 to the drivecontroller 37, and transmits command signals for controlling the brake27 and so on to the sub-controller 38 based on incident signals from theinternal sensor 40 as well as maps and formulas installed in advance. InFIG. 1, dashed-lines represent transmission of signals from the internalsensor 40 to the controller 28, and signals from the controller 28 tothe engine 1, the first motor 2, the second motor 3, and the brake 27.

The control system according to the embodiments of the presentdisclosure is configured to operate the vehicle Ve autonomously.Specifically, the control system is configured to execute a startingoperation, an accelerating operation, a steering operation, a brakingoperation, a stopping operation and etc. of the vehicle Ve completelyautonomously at level 4 defined by the NHTSA (National Highway TrafficSafety Administration) or level 4 or 5 defined by the SAE (Society ofAutomotive Engineers), while recognizing and observing an externalcondition and a travelling condition. For this reason, the vehicle Vemay be operated not only autonomously with or without a driver (and apassenger) but also manually by the driver. The control system may alsobe configured to operate the vehicle Ve at level 3 at which anaccelerating operation, a steering operation, a braking operation etc.are executed autonomously only in an allowable condition, and the driverhas to manipulate the vehicle Ve upon request from the system.

As described, the vehicle Ve is operated autonomously while manipulatingthe engine 1, the first motor 2, the second motor 3, the brake 27, andso on by the controller 28. In addition, the steering system 25, theparking lock mechanism 20 and so on are also controlled by thecontroller 28.

In order to operate the vehicle Ve autonomously, detection signals fromexternal sensors 53 for detecting external conditions are also sent tothe main controller 36. For example, the external sensor 53 includes atleast one of an on-board camera, a RADAR (i.e., a radio detection andranging) a LIDAR (i.e., a laser imaging detection and ranging), anultrasonic sensor and so on. Data detected by the external sensor 53 maybe utilized in an inter-vehicle communication.

Specifically, the on-board camera is arranged inside of a windshieldglass, and transmits recorded information about the external conditionto the main controller 36. To this end, not only a monocular camera butalso a stereo camera having a plurality of lenses and image sensors toachieve a binocular vision may be used as the on-board camera. If thestereo camera is used as the on-board camera, the main controller 36 isallowed to obtain three-dimensional information in the forwarddirection.

The RADAR is adapted to detect obstacles utilizing radio waves such asmillimetric-waves and microwaves, and to transmit detected informationto the main controller 36. Specifically, the RADAR detects an obstaclesuch as other vehicles and so on by emitting radio waves and analyzingthe radio waves reflected from the obstacle.

Likewise, the LIDAR is adapted to detect obstacles utilizing laser lightand to transmit detected information to the main controller 36.Specifically, the LIDAR detects an obstacle such as other vehicles andso on by emitting laser light and analyzing the laser light reflectedfrom the obstacle.

Information about other vehicles around the vehicle Ve such aspositions, speeds, directions, operating modes etc. may be obtainedthrough the inter-vehicle communication system to support safe driving.Such inter-vehicle communication is available among the vehiclesindividually having an on-board equipment for intelligent transportsystems even where infrastructure has not yet been improved.

In addition, the vehicle Ve is further provided with a GPS (i.e., globalpositioning system) receiver 54, a digital map database 55, and anavigation system 56. Specifically, the GPS receiver 54 is adapted toobtain a position (i.e., latitude and longitude) based on incidentsignals from GPS satellites, and to transmit the positional informationto the main controller 36. The map database 55 may be installed in themain controller 36, but map database stored on external facility such asan online information processing systems may also be available. Thenavigation system 56 is configured to determine a travelling route ofthe vehicle Ve based on the positional information obtained by the GPSreceiver 54 and the map database 55.

The main controller 36 carries out calculations based on the incidentdata or information from the internal sensor 40 and the external sensor53 as well as the preinstalled data, and calculation results are sent inthe form of command signal to the drive controller 37, thesub-controller 38 and the auxiliary 57. The incident signals to thedrive controller 37 are converted into drive commands, and furthertransmitted to the throttle actuator of the engine 1, and the firstinverter 29 and the second inverter 30 of the first motor 2 and thesecond motor 3. The incident signals to the sub-controller 38 areconverted into appropriate command signals and further transmitted toactuators 58 of the brake 27, the steering system 25 and so on.

The actuator 58 includes a brake actuator, a steering actuator and soon. Specifically, the brake actuator is adapted to actuate the brake 27to control braking force applied to the wheels 24 and 26 in response tothe command signal from the sub-controller 38. The steering actuator isadapted to activate an assist motor of the steering system 25 to controla steering torque in response to the command signal from the subcontroller 38.

The auxiliary 57 includes devices that are not involved in propulsion ofthe vehicle Ve such as a wiper, a headlamp, a direction indicator, anair conditioner, an audio player and so on.

The main controller 36 comprises a position recognizer 59, an externalcondition recognizer 60, a running condition recognizer 61, a travelplan creator 62, a travel controller 63, an auxiliary controller 64, apassenger detector 65 and so on.

Specifically, the position recognizer 59 is configured to recognize acurrent position of the vehicle Ve on the map based on the positionalinformation received by the GPS receiver 54 and the map database 55. Thecurrent position of the vehicle Ve may also be obtained from thepositional information used in the navigation system 56. Optionally, thevehicle Ve may also be adapted to communicate with external sensorsarranged along the road to obtain the current position of the vehicleVe.

The external condition recognizer 60 is configured to recognize externalcondition of the vehicle Ve such as a location of a traffic lane, a roadwidth, a road configuration, a road gradient, an existence of obstaclesaround the vehicle Ve and so on, based on the recorded information ofthe on-board camera, or detection data of the RADAR or the LIDAR.Optionally, weather information, a friction coefficient of road surfaceetc. may be obtained according to need.

The running condition recognizer 61 is configured to recognize runningcondition of the vehicle Ve such as a vehicle speed, a longitudinalacceleration, a lateral acceleration, a yaw rate and so on based ondetection data collected by the internal sensors 40.

The travel plan creator 62 is configured to create a travel locus of thevehicle Ve based on a target course determined by the navigation system56, a position of the vehicle Ve recognized by the position recognizer59, and an external condition recognized by the external conditionrecognizer 60. That is, the travel plan creator 62 creates a travellocus of the vehicle Ve within the target course in such a manner thatthe vehicle Ve is allowed to travel safely and properly while complyingtraffic rules.

In addition, the travel plan creator 62 is further configured to createa travel plan in line with the created travel locus. Specifically, thetravel plan creator 62 creates a travel plan in line with the targetcourse based on the external conditions recognized by the externalcondition recognizer 60 and the map database 55.

Specifically, the travel plan is created based on prospective data afterfew seconds from the present moment to determine a future condition ofthe vehicle Ve such as a driving force or the like required in future.Optionally, the travel plan may also be created based on prospectivedata after several ten seconds depending on the external conditions andthe running conditions. Thus, the travel plan creator 62 creates afuture plan to change a vehicle speed, acceleration, steering torqueetc. during travelling along the target course in the form of e.g., amap.

Alternatively, the travel plan creator 62 may also create a pattern tochange the vehicle speed, acceleration, steering torque etc. betweenpredetermined points on the travel locus. Specifically, such patternsmay be determined by setting target values of those parameters at eachpoint on the travel locus taking account of a required time to reach thepoint at the current speed.

As described, the controller 28 is configured to work with the adaptivecruise control system or cooperative adaptive cruise control system, andthe travel plan may also be created in such a manner as to follow thepreceding vehicle while communicating with the other vehicles. Theadaptive cruise control system may be manipulated by switches arrangedin the vicinity of the steering wheel or within a steering pad.Specifically, activation of the cruise control system, selection of acontrol mode, setting a target distance from a preceding vehicle etc.may be executed by manipulating the switches.

The travel controller 63 is configured to operate the vehicle Veautonomously in line with the travel plan created by the travel plancreator 62. To this end, specifically, the travel controller 63transmits command signals to the actuators 58, or the engine 1, thefirst motor 2 and the second motor 3 through the drive controller 37 andthe sub-controller 38.

The auxiliary controller 64 is configured to operate the auxiliaries 57such as the wiper, the headlamp, the direction indicator, the airconditioner, the audio player and so on in line with the travel plancreated by the travel plan creator 62.

The passenger detector 65 is configured to determine the existence ofpassenger in the vehicle Ve and the preceding vehicle. For example, thepassenger detector 65 determines the existence of passenger in thevehicle Ve based on a fact that a power switch, an ignition switch, or astart button is turned on, that a passenger sitting on a vehicle seat isdetected, that a seat belt is fastened, or that the steering wheel isturned. Meanwhile, the passenger detector 65 determines the existence ofpassenger in the preceding vehicle by obtaining information about thepreceding vehicle through the inter-vehicle communication, or byanalyzing information obtained by the on-board camera.

Thus, the vehicle Ve shown in FIG. 1 may be operated autonomously whileobtaining external conditions based on the data collected by theinformation detector such as the external sensor including the on-boardcamera while with reference to the map database 55. Specifically,information that is not available in the map database 55 such as amessage indicated on a message board, a disabled vehicle stopping on theroad etc. are obtained by the on-board camera. However, detectionaccuracy of the on-board camera may not be maintained sufficiently inthe nighttime or in bad weather. In order to avoid reduction in thedetection accuracy of the on-board camera, the controller 28 executes aroutine shown in FIG. 3.

At step S1, it is determined whether the vehicle Ve is being operatedautonomously. Specifically, such determination of the current operatingmode can be made based on a signal from the switch for selecting theoperating mode, or based on a flag representing the autonomous mode. Ifthe vehicle Ve is currently not operated autonomously so that the answerof step S1 is NO, the routine returns.

In this case, the controller 28 determines that the vehicle Ve iscurrently operated manually by a driver in the manual mode. Asdescribed, the vehicle Ve may be operated autonomously with or without adriver (or a passenger(s)). A presence of the passenger may bedetermined by the passenger detector 65 based on operating states of theabove-explained devices. Instead, a presence of the passenger may bedetermined based on a signal from a biometric passenger sensor such asan infrared sensor for detecting a body temperature of the passenger,and a motion sensor such as a Doppler sensor for detecting a bodymovement of the passenger.

By contrast, if the vehicle Ve is being operated autonomously so thatthe answer of step S1 is YES, the routine progresses to step S2 todetermine whether a headlamp as a lighting device of the vehicle Ve isturned on. According to the embodiment, the lighting device includes notonly the headlamp but also a front fog lamp and a lamp of the on-boardcamera. The lighting device may further include an infrared lamp and amillimeter-wave RADAR. Thus, according to the embodiment, the lightingdevice includes not only the lighting device for emitting visible lightbut also the lighting device for emitting invisible light. As described,the headlamp is included in the auxiliary 57, and controlledautomatically by the auxiliary controller 64.

For example, the headlamp is turned on when travelling in the nighttime,when travelling in the fog, when travelling in the rain, and whentravelling through a tunnel. If the headlamp is turned off so that theanswer of step S2 is NO, the routine returns without carrying out anyspecific control.

By contrast, if the headlamp is turned on so that the answer of step S2is YES, the routine progresses to step S3 to determine whether an objectwhose information is not available in the database is detected, andwhether the detected object is a physical object.

During propulsion in the autonomous mode, the external sensor 53 detectsvarious objects such as a road sign, a road depression, a railroadcrossing and so on while with reference to the database stored on themain controller 36 and the data which has been collected by the externalsensor 53. If the information about the newly detected object is notfound in the database stored on the main controller 36, and the newlydetected object is a physical object e.g., a disabled vehicle stoppingon the road so that the answer of step S3 is YES, the routine progressesto step S4 to change an orientation of the headlamp (i.e., a directionof radiation) toward the detected object. In other words, if the newlydetected object is not available in the database, the headlamp isoriented to the newly detected object.

The external sensor 53 also detects road information about, a trafficcongestion, a speed limit and so on indicated on a road sign and amessage board, and the detected road information is stored on the mapdatabase 55.

The orientation of the lighting device may be change arbitrarily by theauxiliary controller 64 not only vertically but also horizontally.

According to the embodiment, therefore, the object whose information isnot available in the database can be recognized clearly by the on-boardcamera even when the on-board camera is not allowed to recognize theobject clearly such as in the nighttime. That is, if a stopping disabledvehicle is detected by the RADAR or the LIDAR but the details of thetrouble has not yet been confirmed, the details of the trouble of thedisabled vehicle can be confirmed by the on-board camera. For example,it is possible to confirm a fact that a tire(s) of the disabled vehicleis/are flattened, or that the disabled vehicle is overturned. Inaddition, if the disabled vehicle is out of fuel, such information maybe obtained through the inter-vehicle communication.

By contrast, if the information about the newly detected object is notavailable in the database but the newly detected object is the roadinformation so that the answer of step S3 is NO, the routine progressesto step S5 to determine whether the newly detected road informatione.g., a message board is not available in the database. That is, at stepS3, availability of the information about the newly found physicalobject in the database is determined. Meanwhile, at step S5,availability of the newly obtained road information in the database isdetermined. As described, such road information includes messagesindicated on a message board about a traffic congestion, a speed limitetc. The answer of step S3 will also be YES if the information about thenewly detected object has already been stored in the database. In thiscase, the routine returns through the below-mentioned step S5.

For example, the speed limit may be restricted due to bad weather, andsome of traffic lanes may be closed due to traffic accident or roadconstruction. Such road conditions change constantly, and theinformation stored in the database is updated continuously. Although theroad sign or the message board is newly detected, it would be difficultto read the message indicated on e.g., the message board by the on-boardcamera in e.g., the nighttime. Specifically, in the nighttime, it wouldbe difficult for the on-board camera to clearly recognize the speedlimit indicated on the message board that is restricted due to badweather or the like.

If the newly detected road information is not available in the databaseso that the answer of step S5 is YES, therefore, the routine alsoprogresses to step S4 to change an orientation of the headlamp towardthe detected object such as the message board.

By contrast, if the newly detected road information is available in thedatabase so that the answer of step S5 is NO, the routine returnswithout changing the orientation of the headlamp.

Then, the routine progresses to step S6 to specify the detected objectby the on-board camera. Specifically, in the case that the newlydetected object is the physical object, details of the physical objectis specified by the on-board camera. By contrast, in the case that thenewly detected object is the road information, details of the messageindicated on the message board or the like is read by the on-boardcamera. Thereafter, the database stored on the main controller 36 isupdated at step S7 based on the information specified by the on-boardcamera, and the command signals to operate the vehicle autonomously arecalculated by the main controller 36 based on the updated database. Forexample, the travel plan, the target vehicle speed, the pattern tochange the vehicle speed the target course and so on are updated by themain controller 36 based on the updated database. Optionally, thedatabase stored in the external online information processing systemsmay also be updated based on the updated database stored on the maincontroller 36. Thereafter, the orientation of the headlamp is retuned toan original position, and the routine returns.

Thus, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, theheadlamp is oriented to the newly found object during autonomouspropulsion in e.g., the nighttime. According to the embodiment,therefore, the information about the newly found object that is notavailable in the database can be specified clearly by the externalsensor 53 such as the on-board camera even in e.g., the nighttime. Inother words, the on-board camera is allowed to specify the newly foundobject accurately even in the nighttime so that the external conditionsaround the vehicle Ve is detected correctly.

In addition, if the object is detected by the RADAR or the LIDAR but thedetails of the object has not yet been specified, the details of theobject can be obtained by the on-board camera while emitting the lightto the object.

If the detected object is a light emitting object, it would be difficultfor the on-board camera to specify details of the object by emitting thelight to the object due to reflection between the light emitted from theheadlamp and the light emitted from the object. In order to avoid suchdisadvantage, the vehicle control system according to the embodiment maybe further configured to execute a routine shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4,common step numbers are allotted to the steps in common with those inthe routine shown in FIG. 3, and detailed explanations for the commonsteps will be omitted.

In the routine shown in FIG. 4, contents of steps S1 to S5 are similarto those of the routine shown in FIG. 3.

After changing the orientation of the headlamp to the detected object atstep S4, it is determined at step S100 whether the object detected atstep S3 or S5 is a light emitting object or a reflection object thatmakes the on-board camera difficult to specify the object if it isirradiated. For example, it would be difficult for the on-board camerato read a massage indicated on an electronic message board if themessage board is irradiated by the light emitted from the headlamp. Atstep S100, therefore, reduction in detection accuracy of the on-boardcamera after orienting the headlamp to the object is determined.Specifically, the light emitting object includes an electronicconstruction signage, a flare, an electronic message board and so on,and the reflection object includes a rubber pole (i.e., a laneseparation pole). If the detected object is the light emitting object orthe reflection object so that the answer of step S100 is YES, theroutine progresses to step S200 to further change the orientation of theheadlamp within the object in such a manner as to emit the light to aportion of the object other than a light emitting portion or areflection portion.

At step S100, reduction in the detection accuracy of the on-board camerais also determined even if the detection accuracy at the light emittingportion or the reflection portion of the object and the detectionaccuracy at the remaining portion of the object are identical to eachother. In addition, the answer of step S100 will also be YES when theon-board camera is not allowed to clearly read the message indicated onthe message board due to over exposure or the like. For example, suchdetermination at step S100 may be made based on a threshold ofilluminance or detection degree.

If the detected object is not the light emitting object or thereflection object so that the answer of step S100 is NO, the routineprogresses to step S300 to fix the orientation of the headlamp changedat step S4 until the on-board camera is allowed to specify the object.For example, the orientation of the headlamp is fixed until the on-boardcamera is allowed to read the message indicated on the message board.Then, the detected object is specified by the on-board camera at stepS6, and the database stored on the main controller 36 is updated at stepS7 based on the information specified by the on-board camera.Thereafter, the orientation of the headlamp is retuned to the originalposition, and the routine returns. For example, in a case that thedetected object is a disabled vehicle, the orientation of the headlampis returned to the original position after passing the disabled vehicle.

Thus, by executing the routine shown in FIG. 4, the headlamp may also beoriented to the newly found object during autonomous propulsion in e.g.,the nighttime. In addition, according to the routine shown in FIG. 4, ifthe detected object is the light emitting object or the reflectionobject, the orientation of the headlamp is adjusted within the object toemit the light to the portion of the object other than the lightemitting portion or the reflection portion. According to the routineshown in FIG. 4, therefore, the information about the newly found objectthat is not available in the database can be specified clearly by theon-board camera in e.g., the nighttime, even if the object is the lightemitting object or the reflection object.

Although the above exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure havebeen described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatthe present disclosure should not be limited to the described exemplaryembodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made withinthe scope of the present disclosure. For example, any kinds ofappropriate mechanism may be applied to change an orientation of theheadlamp. In addition, if the newly found object that is the lightemitting object or the reflection object, a light emitting period may bereduced to allow the on-board camera to specify the object accurately.Further, if the detected object is large, it is also possible to obtaindetails of the object while changing the orientation of the on-boardcamera.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle control system for use with a vehiclehaving: a prime mover; a brake device that applies braking force to awheel; a steering system that turns the wheels; a lighting device thatemits a light; an external sensor that detects external conditions; anda controller that controls the prime mover, the brake device, and thesteering system based on information about the external conditionsdetected by the external sensor, so as to operate the vehicleautonomously without requiring a manual operation, the vehicle controlsystem comprising: a network interface that communicates with: (a) afirst database stored in the vehicle, and (b) a second database storedin an external facility, both the first and second database containing amap database; and the controller being configured to: detect whether anobject having road information is present in a vicinity of the vehiclevia the external sensor, determine whether information about the roadinformation of the detected object is not available in the map databaseof both the first database of the vehicle and the second database of theexternal facility via the network interface, change the orientation ofthe lighting device toward the detected object when: (i) the lightingdevice is turned on, and (ii) the information about the road informationof the detected object is not available in the map database of both thefirst database of the vehicle and the second database of the externalfacility, and further change the orientation of the lighting devicetowards the detected object in a case when a detection accuracy of theexternal sensor is reduced as a result of orienting the lighting devicetoward the detected object, including: determining that the detectionaccuracy of the external sensor is reduced when the detected object is alight emitting object or a reflection object, further changing theorientation of the lighting device such that light is emitted to only aportion of the detected object that does not include a light emittingportion when the detected object corresponds to the light emittingobject, and further changing the orientation of the lighting device suchthat light is emitted to only a portion of the detected object that doesnot include a reflecting portion when the detected object corresponds tothe reflection object.